Matthew Artson

Created by Musical Theatre International as a fundraiser for theatres across the country, MTI's ALL TOGETHER NOW! is a musical revue featuring 15 songs from great Broadway shows including Rent, Beauty and the Beast, Once on this Island, Come From Away, Little Women, Newsies, Guys and Dolls, Godspell, Annie, Sister Act, Ragtime, Company and more.

Kentwood Players is proudly presenting MTI’s ALL TOGETHER NOW! as a Gala Red Carpet Fundraising event, directed by Susan Goldman Weisbarth, produced by Gail Bernardi, with musical consultant Mike Walker and choreography by Victoria Miller. Performances take place on Friday, November 12 at 8pm, Saturday, November 13 at 8pm, and Sunday, November 14 at 2pm. Audience members are invited to dress up, walk the red carpet, and have your photo taken on our outdoor front patio while you sip champagne. There will be lots of goodies and a few surprises too!

When the initial cast announcement was made for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Morgan Wixson in Santa Monica, controversy erupted on social media about the miscasting of the trio of Skid Row urchins as the scripts calls for the roles to be played by African-Americans. Certainly the names of the characters (Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon) pay tribute to 50s rock and roll girl groups these three characters represent through their song stylings. And fortunately, the show's producer Spencer Johnson listened and set about to make things right, hiring a new director, D'Shaun A. Booker, who set out to find the perfect trio of gifted singers to breathe life back into the show. And boy did she succeed!

Anne Gesling directs many shows, especially musicals, for the Morgan-Wixson. But this time she has outdone herself with the perfect casting of each actor in the entire THE ADDAMS FAMILY production, making the show a guaranteed hit. Along with her show producer Meredith Wright, musical director Daniel Koh and frequent collaborator, choreographer Lauren Blair, be prepared for a spectacular and gloriously fun time. Be sure to bring theatre lovers of all ages so you can celebrate the joy of laughter together.

The iconic music of Elvis Presley inspired writer Joe Dipietro to create ALL SHOOK UP, a musical set in 1955 utilizing the rock 'n roll star's songs. The bottom line with Elvis's music is that it makes a lot of people very happy, even 50 years after it was recorded. And Dipietro thought, what other type of entertainment form does that? And that's when he came up with the Shakespeare comedies, which are very much about love and finding your joy, marriage, passion, and all the good stuff of life. And of course, frequent cases of mistaken identity!

NEXT TO NORMAL tells the story of a mother, Diana Goodman, who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family. This contemporary musical is an emotional powerhouse that addresses such issues as grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the day-to-day reality of suburban life. With provocative lyrics and a thrilling score, this musical shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family's world intact. The production plays more like a modern operetta as there is little dialogue with most of the story being told via the story-forwarding song lyrics.

Kentwood Players presents the Tony Award winning musical "Into the Woods" with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, from Friday, November 14 to Saturday, December 20 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm, with two Thursday night performances at 8pm on December 11 and 18 at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue, Westchester, CA 90045. The production is directed by Shawn K. Summerer with musical direction by Catherine Rahm, produced by Lori Marple-Pereslete and Tony Pereslete by special arrangement with Music Theatre International.

American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is known for his immense contributions to musical theatre for over 50 years. He is the winner of an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards (more than any other composer) including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and the Laurence Olivier Award. Sondheim fans are in for a treat this holiday season with two Sondheim shows playing within just a few miles of each other: Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse is presenting 'Into the Woods' and Chromolume at the Attic Theatre is presenting 'Putting it Together' with both productions opening on November 14, 2014.

INTO THE WOODS is tied together by an original story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their dealings with a Witch who has placed a curse on them, and their interaction with other storybook characters during their journey. Join Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Rapunzel, Jack the Giant Slayer, and many other famous storybook characters as they each venture into the foreboding woods in search of magical items, love, money, or simply a purpose in life. This classic mash-up of Grimm's fairy tales teaches all of us the true consequences of what it means to "get your wish."

AVENUE Q, the zany, adult-themed spoof on Sesame Street, won the Tony "Triple Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. Now onstage through April 6 at Santa Monica's Morgan-Wixson Theatre, the show is part flesh, part felt and packed with lots of heart. With 2,534 performances, Avenue Q ranks 23rd on the list of longest running shows in Broadway history, and this production does the show proud.

Kentwood Players presents the musical 'Candide' featuring a legendary score by Leonard Bernstein, with book adapted from the beloved Voltaire classic by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and John Latouche, from September 16 to October 22, 2011, with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm at the Westchester Playhouse located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90045. The production is directed by Catherine Rahm, produced by Lori A. Marple-Pereslete and Tony Pereslete by special arrangement with Music Theatre International, and was produced on Broadway by The Chelsea Theatre Center of Brooklyn in conjunction with Harold Prince and Ruth Mitchell. The Broadway production was conceived and directed by Harold Prince.

Kentwood Players presents the musical 'Candide' featuring a legendary score by Leonard Bernstein, with book adapted from the beloved Voltaire classic by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and John Latouche, from September 16 to October 22, 2011, with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm at the Westchester Playhouse located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90045.

Kentwood Players presents the musical 'Candide' featuring a legendary score by Leonard Bernstein, with book adapted from the beloved Voltaire classic by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and John Latouche, from September 16 to October 22, 2011, with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm at the Westchester Playhouse located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90045. The production is directed by Catherine Rahm, produced by Lori A. Marple-Pereslete and Tony Pereslete by special arrangement with Music Theatre International, and was produced on Broadway by The Chelsea Theatre Center of Brooklyn in conjunction with Harold Prince and Ruth Mitchell. The Broadway production was conceived and directed by Harold Prince.

Kentwood Players presents the musical 'Candide' featuring a legendary score by Leonard Bernstein, with book adapted from the beloved Voltaire classic by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and John Latouche, from September 16 to October 22, 2011, with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm at the Westchester Playhouse located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90045. The production is directed by Catherine Rahm, produced by Lori A. Marple-Pereslete and Tony Pereslete by special arrangement with Music Theatre International, and was produced on Broadway by The Chelsea Theatre Center of Brooklyn in conjunction with Harold Prince and Ruth Mitchell. The Broadway production was conceived and directed by Harold Prince.